“And He (God) said, ‘I will make all My goodness pass before thee, and I will proclaim the name of the Lord before thee.'” Exodus 33:19
Dear Ones:
There is a principle and promise in the matter of worshiping God which must be grasped. The Apostle Paul writes: “BUT WE ALL, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, ARE CHANGED into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.” (2 Corinthians 3:18) When Moses sought the Lord, as is seen in Exodus 33, we find that he wanted two things. First, he asked the Lord that He would show to Moses “His way,” in order to KNOW Him. The second thing that he asked of the Lord was that He reveal to him His glory, the revelation of His person. With respect to both of these requests, the Lord granted them. The result was two-fold. First, upon seeing the Lord “pass by,” and then, hearing His voice, proclaiming His name, and its meaning, Moses “…made haste, and bowed his head toward the earth, and worshiped.” (33:10) After making intercession for the people, the second thing that occurred was that the reflection of the glory of the Lord was seen on Moses’ face, for “…the skin of his face shone.” (v.30) In other words, out of Moses’ fellowship with God, and his worship, God caused His glory to be reflected upon the face of Moses.
Returning to the words of the Apostle Paul, we see the same principle and promise. Note that the call to worship God in Spirit and truth is given to us ALL, for, “…WE ALL…” behold the glory of the Lord. What is the “tangible” result of such worship, beholding the Lord? It is “change,” or transformation “into the same image” as Christ. This is consistent with Paul’s words to the Romans: “…For whom He did foreknow, He also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of His Son.” (8:29) The principle of which we speak is that the true worship of God in the Spirit, according to the truth of the Word of God, is a profoundly personal, and practical reality with definite results. The promise is that out of such a life of worship by the Spirit, we shall be changed in an ever-increasing manner, into the image of Christ.
God granted Moses his two requests, to first, know His ways, and then to see His glory. Will God do the same thing for us, seeing this is His will and purpose? In Psalm 90, Moses penned these words in his prayer: “Let Thy work APPEAR unto Thy servants, and Thy glory unto their children. And let the beauty of the Lord our God be upon us.” (v.16,17) The Spirit of God has been given to the church, and every believer in the body of Christ, so that EACH might receive the knowledge of God’s ways, and behold the glory of the Lord. This powerful promise belongs to every child of God. “WE ALL…ARE CHANGED.”
Dear Father, teach us Thy ways, enabling us to learn, and practice them well. Grant us the Spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Thee, that, in beholding the glory of God in the face of the Lord Jesus Christ, we too shall be changed into His likeness. “Unto Thee be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.” We thank Thee. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Love, Dad